Prime Minister Imran Khan used the occasion to draw the world attention to Indian atrocities against the people of Kashmir, who he said were under brutal Indian occupation and were deprived of all fundamental rights.

Today, on the 1st International Day for Victims of Violence based on Religion or Belief, we call attention to the plight of millions of Kashmiris living under brutal Indian Occupation, abuse & violence, deprived of all fundamental rights & freedoms.

Following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweet, online editions of newspapers begin to report on the day. However, the focus remained largely Kashmir centric and the plight of the minorities in Pakistan remained neglected. The News and Pakistan Today remained strictly focused on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s message on the day.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom in its 2018 report placed Pakistan on its Tier 1 list of countries of particular concerns over alleged curtailment of religious freedoms and persecution of minorities. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo besides hailing the release of Christian blasphemy accused, Aasia Bibi, had said that more than 40 people still served life sentences or faced execution over allegations of blasphemy in Pakistan.